Narrative:

The flight was a 757 flight to ZZZ. The forecast for ZZZ very good and there weren't any indications of any potential holding. Consequently; the plan did not include any fuel for holding. The flight to the ZZZ area was uneventful except for a growing difference between the calculated and totalizer fuel. The amount did not reach a point of concern en route but it did play a role in the final minutes of the flight. Approaching the ZZZ area; we heard the aircraft in front of us issued holding instructions at the arrival fix on the STAR. They also received an efc approximately 30 minutes into the future. Shortly thereafter; we were issued the same holding instructions with a similar efc time. There wasn't any advance notification to expect holding. We were the second aircraft in the pattern. When queried about the expected length of time for holding; the approach controller gave a very terse 'I don't know.' when queried about the reason; we were told they were 'switching arrivals to the south.' we weren't really sure what they meant at the time but we weren't successful in getting any more information. During the first turn in holding; we discussed our fuel state. The captain told me she was going to declare minimum fuel. I advocated my position that I thought our fuel supply was not quite at minimum fuel levels. We had a little more than one hour of fuel at the time. With the efc in the FMC; we were still planned to land with what I thought was an acceptable level including the burn we received from dispatch. The captain was concerned about the difference between the totalizer and the calculated fuel and she declared minimum fuel. She passed the appropriate information to arrival. After another two turns; we received a clearance to exit the hold. Fifteen minutes after we declared minimum fuel; ATC informed us they were declaring emergency fuel for us. We did not declare emergency fuel. From that point we received traffic priority for the approach but did not deviate from any FARS. We landed uneventfully and taxied to the gate. In retrospect; even though I thought the declaration of minimum fuel was early; it provided a sense of urgency to ATC that was missing up to that point. None of the aircraft flying to ZZZ would have expected holding. Like us; they probably did not have extra fuel on board. The mysterious 'switching arrivals to the south' never materialized. We landed on the runway we expected from the time we started flight planning and the one indicated on the ATIS for the entire flight. We never did receive a logical reason for the hold. Perhaps there was some unannounced dv movement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW IS DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE FUEL REQUIRED; AND MUST DECLARE MIN FUEL WHEN GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS ON ARR TO ZZZ.

Narrative: THE FLIGHT WAS A 757 FLIGHT TO ZZZ. THE FORECAST FOR ZZZ VERY GOOD AND THERE WEREN'T ANY INDICATIONS OF ANY POTENTIAL HOLDING. CONSEQUENTLY; THE PLAN DID NOT INCLUDE ANY FUEL FOR HOLDING. THE FLIGHT TO THE ZZZ AREA WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR A GROWING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CALCULATED AND TOTALIZER FUEL. THE AMOUNT DID NOT REACH A POINT OF CONCERN ENRTE BUT IT DID PLAY A ROLE IN THE FINAL MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT. APPROACHING THE ZZZ AREA; WE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF US ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT THE ARRIVAL FIX ON THE STAR. THEY ALSO RECEIVED AN EFC APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE WERE ISSUED THE SAME HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH A SIMILAR EFC TIME. THERE WASN'T ANY ADVANCE NOTIFICATION TO EXPECT HOLDING. WE WERE THE SECOND AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN. WHEN QUERIED ABOUT THE EXPECTED LENGTH OF TIME FOR HOLDING; THE APPROACH CONTROLLER GAVE A VERY TERSE 'I DON'T KNOW.' WHEN QUERIED ABOUT THE REASON; WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE 'SWITCHING ARRIVALS TO THE SOUTH.' WE WEREN'T REALLY SURE WHAT THEY MEANT AT THE TIME BUT WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING ANY MORE INFORMATION. DURING THE FIRST TURN IN HOLDING; WE DISCUSSED OUR FUEL STATE. THE CAPTAIN TOLD ME SHE WAS GOING TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. I ADVOCATED MY POSITION THAT I THOUGHT OUR FUEL SUPPLY WAS NOT QUITE AT MINIMUM FUEL LEVELS. WE HAD A LITTLE MORE THAN ONE HOUR OF FUEL AT THE TIME. WITH THE EFC IN THE FMC; WE WERE STILL PLANNED TO LAND WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL INCLUDING THE BURN WE RECEIVED FROM DISPATCH. THE CAPTAIN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOTALIZER AND THE CALCULATED FUEL AND SHE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. SHE PASSED THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION TO ARRIVAL. AFTER ANOTHER TWO TURNS; WE RECEIVED A CLEARANCE TO EXIT THE HOLD. FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL; ATC INFORMED US THEY WERE DECLARING EMERGENCY FUEL FOR US. WE DID NOT DECLARE EMERGENCY FUEL. FROM THAT POINT WE RECEIVED TRAFFIC PRIORITY FOR THE APPROACH BUT DID NOT DEVIATE FROM ANY FARS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. IN RETROSPECT; EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT THE DECLARATION OF MINIMUM FUEL WAS EARLY; IT PROVIDED A SENSE OF URGENCY TO ATC THAT WAS MISSING UP TO THAT POINT. NONE OF THE AIRCRAFT FLYING TO ZZZ WOULD HAVE EXPECTED HOLDING. LIKE US; THEY PROBABLY DID NOT HAVE EXTRA FUEL ON BOARD. THE MYSTERIOUS 'SWITCHING ARRIVALS TO THE SOUTH' NEVER MATERIALIZED. WE LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WE EXPECTED FROM THE TIME WE STARTED FLIGHT PLANNING AND THE ONE INDICATED ON THE ATIS FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. WE NEVER DID RECEIVE A LOGICAL REASON FOR THE HOLD. PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME UNANNOUNCED DV MOVEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.